Volume 6, Issue 3, June 2014, Pages 277–285
Abstract
Introduction
In
Central Europe, homoeopathy has a long history although this was
interrupted after World War 2 and renewed only after the liberalisation
of society in 1989. This survey aimed to measure experience, practice
and views of homoeopathy among Czech general physicians for the adult
population and to compare the results with those of the 2001 survey.
Methods
Identical
original self-administered questionnaires were submitted to general
physicians in 2001 and again in 2012. A convenience sample was used in
2012 whereas a random sample had been used in 2001. 1024 general
physicians for the adult population who attended the 2012 Annual
Conference of the Society of General Medicine received a questionnaire,
and 419 replied (response rate = 41%), while in 2001, 720 randomly
selected members of the Society for General Medicine received a
questionnaire, and 449 replied (response rate = 62%). Differences in age
and gender between the samples were corrected by weighted coefficients
on the basis of direct demographic standardisation.
Results
In
2012, approximately 1/4 of GPs 23% reported training in homoeopathy and
19% use homoeopathy in their clinical practice. The extent of
homoeopathy is similar to other European countries with a tradition of
homoeopathy. The effects of gender, age, location or religion turned out
to be weak and inconsistent. No statistically significant changes in
pivotal items were found between 2001 and 2012 samples.
Conclusion
Homoeopathy
has been firmly integrated into Czech primary health care and has
remained so despite the worse economic conditions of the population and
lack of public support.
Keywords
- Homoeopathy;
- Primary care;
- New EU members;
- Ex-socialist countries;
- Czech Republic;
- Central and Eastern Europe
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